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Modeling: How Amber Came Out

I worried that it would add to the already circulating rumor that I was homosexual. I was sent a message that Michael had posted the image on Myspace and it was getting a huge response, a positive response. Long story short, I got a lot of emails from women that had seen my work and thought that this image of me on his page was me coming out.

[Model Of The Day] Where She’s From: Amber Rose, a.k.a. Accidental Diva now lives in Atlanta, GA., but was born and raised in California. “I am what you would call an Urban fashion model,” she tells The Black Star News. “I work with a lot of urban magazine's and promotions for urban based companies like King Magazine, Punany Poets, Alice, and so.”

Amber Rose says she was a “nerd” while growing up and quickly got into computers and graphic arts.

Where She’s At: “I have been modeling for over nine years now and almost every model I've met working was bisexual or bi-curious but you didn’t talk about it—it stayed behind closed doors. Being known as a bisexual model, let alone a lesbian model is completely taboo and I struggled with being outted for years. I was afraid that my bookings would stop and my career as I know it would come to an end. I mean, what magazine or promotional company that has a target market that's 90% men would book a lesbian model? How could I be marketed? My struggle finally ended in the Spring of 2005 when I did a photo shoot with a photographer named Michael Vincent. We had worked together several times before and he was one of the few people that knew my secret. While in the normal fast paced shooting with Michael and the other models, we produced a really sexy shoot of me and another model sitting on a Harley motorcycle. She was sitting on my lap and she was pulling my hair back, a rather racy shot. I worried that it would add to the already circulating rumor that I was homosexual. I was sent a message that Michael had posted the image on Myspace and it was getting a huge response, a positive response. Long story short, I got a lot of emails from women that had seen my work and thought that this image of me on his page was me coming out. I decided to try and let all of my fears go and be who I was born to be. I changed my status on my Myspace page to Lesbian and the most unexpected thing happened. I started getting hundreds of friends requests from out Lesbian's from all over the world. It was an amazing feeling, I was accepted for who I was from thousands of people that I didn't even know and they were encouraged in there own lives to see a professional model be out and proud of her orientation. From that experience I just sprung forward, trying to display pride in who I had finally accepted I was in everything I did.”

“With that knowledge, I started a clothing line based on the lesbian community and lifestyle called Skittle Project,” Amber Rose continues. “Skittle was a word that I started using for all my gay and lesbian out friends. We come in all colors and flavors but we were all part of the same rainbow, and the same daily struggles.”

Where She’s Heading: She says Skittle Project became very popular, very fast. “Honestly faster than I ever expected and I gained a lot of support. I now have over 45,000-plus Myspace friends and more than half of them are family. From my popularity and support I gained the interested of a very creative professional photographer in Chicago IL, named Falaah Shabazz who is at myspace.com/falaah. He was extremely interested in my unique company and my modeling experience and existing work.”

Shabazz and Amber Rose have been working on an all Lesbian Calendar by Skittle Project so others can be encouraged by other out and proud Skittles.

“We have received over 2,200-plus applications in only two months from interested Lesbian women. We are screening the models now and the final selection is scheduled for February 20th, and I couldn't be more excited.”

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